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Games Entertainment

GTA IV Delayed Into Next Year 138

Posted by Zonk from the grand-delayed-auto dept.
1up has the news that Take Two is moving Grand Theft Auto IV's release out to Spring 2008. Sam Houser (the executive producer for Rockstar Games) says that the demands of creating games for the new consoles, along with the scope of the game, forced their hand to maintain the quality they wanted. "'With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is setting a new standard for next generation video games,' stated Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two. 'Certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms. We all recognize that perfecting the game is vital and I can assure everyone it will be worth the wait.'"
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GTA IV Delayed Into Next Year More

GTA IV Delayed Into Next Year

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  • Oh.. (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 02, 2007 @04:30PM (#20093331)

    "'With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is setting a new standard for next generation video games,' stated Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two. 'Certain elements
    of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms. We all
    recognize that perfecting the game is vital and I can assure everyone it will be worth the wait.'"

    .....So do we all agree the delay is for Hot Coffee v2 [wikipedia.org]?

  • Wow! (Score:3, Informative)

    by brkello ( 642429 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @04:30PM (#20093333)
    We just got the trifecta of games being delayed articles on Slashdot.

  • duh? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by HaymarketRiot ( 931189 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @04:34PM (#20093391)
    How is this surprising when all they had to show at E3 was a dude driving down a street?

  • The delay sucks but there are plenty of other game (Score:3, Interesting)

    by DrXym ( 126579 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @04:36PM (#20093423)
    I've played just about every other GTA game and was looking forward to the next installment. Having said that, if they've got serious issues (and putting it back 6 months says they do), then I'd rather they fix those issues rather than release a piece of crap on the market.

    It sucks if you're a Take Two share holder though. Take Two & Rockstar would give Imagine [nvg.ntnu.no] a run for their money for fiscal mismanagement, broken promises and delays.

    • I'd rather they fix those issues rather than release a piece of crap on the market.

      And few fans of the series would think otherwise. But the problem isn't that the game as a whole is too far from completition, the problem is that the PS3 has been lagging behind more and more (hence why we've never seen a single screenshot of the PS3 build of the game) to the point that while they could get the Xbox 360 version in time, they wouldn't be able to do so with the PS3 version, and due to their agreements they c

  • I wonder how this will affect Sony (Score:4, Insightful)

    by aywwts4 ( 610966 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @04:36PM (#20093429)
    The PS3 is in desperate need of a blockbuster at the moment, Microsoft has Halo, Nintendo has Mario, and PS3 (while not a Sony creation) has GTA. Without Grand Theft Auto what killer blockbuster games do they have this X-mas? (I'm not talking "It's a good game with high review scores" I'm talking Buy the system, Pre-order the game, Million Seller right away kind of games)

    • Re:I wonder how this will affect Sony (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Kohath ( 38547 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @05:00PM (#20093827)
      Lair
      Heavenly Sword
      Ratchet and Clank Future
      Call of Duty 4 (cross platform)
      Warhawk
      Home (not exactly a game)
      SingStar (will sell in Europe)
      Assassin's Creed (cross platform)
      Haze
      Half Life 2 Orange Box (cross platform)
      Rock Band (cross platform)
      Guitar Hero 3 (cross platform)
      Unreal Tournament 3
      Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
      Devil May Cry 4 (cross platform ?)
      and some sports games

      that's a pretty good list of highlights. Some will probably end up being delayed.
      • Don't forget Gran Turismo 5.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Kohath ( 38547 )
          I didn't forget it. It didn't say it would be released in 2007. The guy was asking about games before X-mas. After X-mas there are lots of cool games too:

          Grand Turismo
          Killzone 2
          Metal Gear Solid 4
          LittleBigPlanet

          Many more. But all 4 of those should be huge.
      • Devil May Cry 4 is Multiplatform. Haze is multi-platform with PS3 having an exclusivity period of currently unknown length, and Unreal Tournament 3 is multi-platform PC and PS3 in November and 360 some time in 2008.

        PS3 does have a strong lineup going into Christmas, but take out the multi-platform titles and the 360's lineup is undoubtedly stronger. PS3 needs a Halo or a Mass Effect or something which, rather than being a game you rush out to buy if you have a PS3, is a game you rush out to buy a PS3 to pla
      • >Half Life 2 Orange Box (cross platform)

        last I heard the PS3 version was delayed till 2008... however the pc and 360 version are coming out in the fall.

        and what i've seen and heard of lair it's hardly a highlight, most of those unique ps3 highlights are questionable.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Rycross ( 836649 )
        You forgot LittleBigWorld. Shame!

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Kohath ( 38547 )
          No I didn't. It's not definitely scheduled for a 2007 release. I was replying to a post talking about games release before X-mas.
    • As another poster noted, Microsoft had more to gain from the GTA release as it had exclusive 360 content. This gives SOny more time to convince people to buy a PS3 instead of a 360 for the games that are coming out.
      • At the same time though, Microsoft has Halo 3 coming out this fall, and they may not want that competing with GTA4. I am in the market for a 360 (waiting for the price cut later this month on the Premium), and I know that I wasn't going to buy Halo 3 at launch because I'd spend my money on GTA4. Now I may buy Halo 3 at launch when it's $50 instead of waiting until it drops in price in the Spring.
    • "I'm talking Buy the system, Pre-order the game, Million Seller right away kind of games"

      Was that ever GTA4? Granted it was certainly the case for GTA3 for the PS2, but that was an exclusive release (originally) while GTA4 is going with a multi platform release. Maybe it would move some PS3s, but I think the 360 version will sell more copies of the game due to the larger install base, lower console price, and upcoming additional exclusive content. If anything this would have helped Microsoft sell console
    • Sony is very much desperate, but Sony also has Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Warrior, Devil May Cry, and Final Fantasy. I guess Devil May Cry is also getting a 360 release, and there are rumors Metal Gear might do the same, but I doubt it. Sony will do anything to placate those guys and keep Metal Gear as a PS3 exclusive, even if initially. Just as Metal Gear EVENTUALLY made it to the XBox, I'm sure MGS4 will be on the PS3 first, and get an XBox 360 port a year later.

      Final Fantasy XIII is a ways off, but isn'

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
        but Sony also has [..] Dragon Warrior

        If by Dragon Warrior you mean Dragon Quest I'll have to disappoint you, Dragon Quest 9 is a DS exclusive, all the PS3 might get is a spinoff like the Wii did.

        Final Fantasy XIII is a ways off, but isn't it going to be like three separate games at once?

        I think it's more than three but scattered across several platforms (including cellphones).
    • Lair
      LittleBigPlanet
      Unreal Tournement
      Haze
      Drakes Fortune
      Warhawk

      There are the ones reeled off my head, there are plenty into 2008, like MGS4, Final Fantasy, Killzone 2 and soforth.

  • No marketing emails about this one eh? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by necro2607 ( 771790 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @04:42PM (#20093515)
    Hmm, no marketing emails from Take-Two about this one, eh?

    Yeah, this is a jab at Take-Two for repeatedly sending marketing emails out about a release date for a trailer for GTA IV. No, not a release date for the game, just a release date for a short trailer that shows very little if anything about the game.

    I thought it was a bit excessive for them to email multiple times about a trailer. I can see emailing once, but I got a number of emails about the same thing. Wow, big deal guys. I would have been more interested in the later emails if they were going to be showing something of substance in the trailers, but they just showed some typical cutscene-style stuff. Blah, sure I'm burning karma with this post but I found it a bit frustrating to get constantly teased about a game (no, not even the game, a TRAILER for the game) and shown almost nothing. Now the game is delayed but of course I didn't receive that in my email inbox, did I? ...
  • It takes a lot of cojones to stand up and say they're slipping the release for quality. I had a ton of respect for them. I know it'll be worth the wait!

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by ivan256 ( 17499 )
      No, it takes "cojones" to stand up and say why they're really slipping the release. "For Quality" is the default cop-out.
  • ...that the delay is caused not by the multi-platform crap, but by the sudden need to go back and edit the content to fit the new "M" rating standards? They wouldn't want their blockbuster title to be rated "AO"....

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by DogDude ( 805747 )
      They wouldn't want their blockbuster title to be rated "AO"....

      If they want to maintain their adult audience, it should be rated "M". Part of what sets GTA apart from other great games is that it has a grown-up storyline (as opposed to silly Japanese stuff). I certainly wouldn't be interested in playing a "PG" version of GTA. That would be lame. What would the missions be? "We want you to go tell Mr. Koomba that he's a 'poopy-head'"? C'mon...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by ivan256 ( 17499 )
        I think you're confused... AO is "more adult" than M, not less.... AO means "Not available for sale anywhere".
  • Consoles will get cheaper by then, well, at least X360 should. Also, a slightly larger user base will be available than there is right now, which means more sales, and Microsoft's exclusive episode packs (two of them) were announced for 2008. This should definitely boost sales and also give people time to save money on a console. Really, not a bad move if you're a patient fan.

  • GTAIV Looks Like Crap (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    So far what we've seen of GTAIV looks like crap.

    The environments are nowhere near next gen levels.
    The art and characters are dreadfully drab compared to previous games.
    Early previews of the game say it is a mess huge framerate problems, horrendous pop-in for geometry, and so on.

    I have a hard time believing that this will be anything but the least popular GTA in the series. You really have to wonder if something major has gone wrong at Rockstar with key people leaving or other internal staffing or management
    • Good thing they now have 'till next year to work on it then.
    • Looks like crap? Please,................ that series is about the gameplay ANYHOW plus it looks good.

      As for frame rates, do you even know how console development works? Target graphics first, frame rate second.

      For the betterment of the internets, stop posting.
    • I mean the thing that made GTA III, IIIa, and IIIb so great were the framerate, art, and general next-gen-ness.

      Since sarcasm doesn't travel well through the IP ether, let me just point it out here.
  • I remember at E3 when Peter Moore described a "perfect storm" of gaming on the 360 - the perfect storm consisted of Madden 2007, Halo3 and GTA4. He said it was going to draw record-breaking sales numbers - D'oH!. I guess now we know a little more about why he's leaving MS...

    I'm all for developers taking their time but delays always dissappoint. The gaming industry should better understand how to set expectations lower so that everyone is always pleasantly surprised. For example, at E3, Nintendo announced
    • So if I'm a software developer and I want to exploit a little spin, I tell you that the game is 3 years off and I deliver it in 2 and a half, you're happier than if I had promised the software in 2 years and I deliver in a 2 and a half?

      C'mon now. Think it through.
      • happier? probably not.
        dissapointed? definitely not.

        and yes, it has always been about spin. We're still talking about the spin regarding Duke Nuke 'Em Forever and it's been 10+ years. The spin lingers for a little while after release when the game is really good but usually when the spin stops, so does the excitement and we can all go back to being objective.

  • This delay is to let the 360 HDD req. sink in (Score:4, Interesting)

    by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @05:33PM (#20094301)
    A recent rumor [xboxfamily.com] has Microsoft dropping the Core system (with no HD) and allowing game makers to require the HDD version of the 360.

    It seems like this move might be giving Rockstar enough time to re-tool the game to take advantage of the HDD requirement by allowing for more content (which would also benefit the PS3), and at the same time letting the HDD requirement for games sink into the buying populace and see how well it works out.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by iainl ( 136759 )
      Football Manager 2006 came out on the 13th of April that year, and required the hard drive. So it's clearly possible to demand one, if you argue your case with Microsoft.
      • Thanks, I hadn't heard anything was allowed to do that already.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by iainl ( 136759 )
          That's ok - every title I know that has the limitation so far is a Football Management game, and they're somewhat niche on consoles.

          And that's due to the fact that there's no way a full FM save would fit on a memory card without terminally crippling it on the way from the PC, so it may be something of a special bye.

  • Time to write off Manhunt 2? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by westlake ( 615356 ) on Thursday August 02, 2007 @05:56PM (#20094571)
    I think this makes the case for writing off Manhunt 2, which can only be a distraction.

    The "M" rating is no longer a sure bet for GTA - and GTA is franchise gold. Rockstar has to get this one right.

    2008 is a presidential election year - an election will almost certainly turn on core issues like Iraq and health care.
    But it is all to easy to picture Rockstar in a another spectacular PR crack-up, the center of a messy, politically-charged debate over video game violence.

    • Well they could be dedicating their time to MH2 instead of GTA4 simply because their business plan consisted of MH2 providing enough cashflow to finish production of GTA4. Things like mastering, pressing cds, super double overtime in the final months all require tons of cash.
  • First off, I just have to say before I say anything else is that I'm not a fanboy. I LOVED my PlayStation2 and I continue to hope that the PS3 eventually gets its act together and brings back the glory days of the last generation.

    That said, for those of you who say this hurts the XBOX360 more than the PS3, I couldn't disagree with you more. This coming holiday season is a very important time for the two systems. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this holiday season is important enough to finally giv
  • I don't give half a rat's ass about any console title. How many people would buy this game for PC if they would release it first, and how much easier/faster would dev be for the PC? Why not just release the PC version, then limp along till the console versions are ready? John Q. Ignorant is still going to buy the console titles like hot cakes.

  • The REAL reason they're delaying it... (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ...is that they're renegotiating Jenna Jameson's contract for her return as the voice of Candy Suxxx.

    (It costs extra for hot coffee time, after all.)
  • Considering that they just announced GTA 4, and Rockstar hadn't exactly been dormant the past two years or so, I knew a delay was coming.
  • I remember reading a comment [slashdot.org] on slashdot saying this was UNPOSSIBLE!!1!

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